THC002: PHILIPPINE CULTURE AND TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

Chapter 1

Philippine Tourism Overview

Philippine Culture and Tourism

This chapter presents comprehensive survey discussions of the major tourist

destination areas in the Philippines. Major discussions will be on access, health and
safety issues, geographical characteristics, major attractions, gastronomy, and
distinctive cultural attributes of the various regions of the country related to the
development and promotion of tourism in the Philippines.

By the end of the chapter, students should be able to:

1. Accept the economic value of the tourist destinations in the different provinces
and cities of the Philippines;
2. Identify the various provinces in each region and town, and chartered and
component cities in each province on a blank map;
3. Identify the major access routes to major domestic destinations;
4. Name and describe major attractions in each province;
5. know the cultural differences and similarities among the major ethnic groups in
the country; and
6. Improve their research and presentation skills.

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Philippine Tourism: An Overview

The Philippines is a beautiful and archipelagic

country. On top of its natural and cultural/heritage
attractions are the friendliest, most hardworking, and
considered the most hospitable people in the world.
Filipinos are bilingual, making it easy for foreign
tourists communicate with locals of different
destinations.

The Philippines has several UNESCO world

heritage sites. These include the cultural Baroque
Churches of the Philippines, such as the San Agustin
Church in Manila, Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, Sta.
Maria Church in Ilocos Sur, and Miag-ao in Iloilo. The
Historic Town of Vigan and the Rice Terraces of the
Philippine Cordilleras are among those listed under
cultural heritage. Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife
Sanctuary in Eastern Mindanao, Puerto Princesa
Subterranean River National Park, and Tubbataha
Reef National Marine Park in Palawan are also listed
as UNESCO World Heritage Sites Natural category.
The Philippines is also home to the internationally acclaimed white sand beaches of
Boracay, Coron, El Nido, and Panglao.

Tourism in the Philippines has become a valuable economic, social, and

cultural driver. Its impacts have been far and wide based on arrival rates each year.
Based on origin, international tourism and domestic tourism are the two distinct types
of tourism. International tourism refers to tourism that crosses national borders while
domestic tourism is defined as travel made within one's country of residence.

There is no discounting the fact that with cheaper and easier ways of travel,
social media, and higher disposable income, more and more people will be traveling
within and outside their countries. As domestic tourism develops, economic and socio-
cultural impacts and environmental protection need to be addressed.

Economic Aspect

On the economic vantage point, domestic tourism contributes vastly in

increasing a country's economic activity. In the Philippines, domestic tourism activity
has become increasingly high. Domestic tourists outnumber international tourists ten
times more. Domestic tourism expenditure, which includes expenditure of resident
visitors within the country either as domestic trip or part of an international trip, has
grown because of tourism in terms of employment, tourism and related industries have
grown considerably: 1 out of 10 jobs are tourism-related.

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Socio-cultural Aspect

The Philippine culture is a blend of

the Malay-Polynesian, Hispanic, and
western cultures with some influence from
the Chinese and other Asian cultures.
Having Spain colonizes us for more than
300 years and the Americans thereafter,
have made the Filipinos a melting pot of
different cultures. With the increasing
number of Overseas Filipino workers (OFW)
and international travel, the Filipino culture
continues to evolve.

Filipinos have a very strong sense of

family and kapwa (others). This is evident in
the way we give importance to our
relationships with others. The Filipinos are
known to be one of the most hospitable people in the world wherein we think of others
as part of themselves and their family.

Filipinos are also lovers of art in many forms. Music is an integral part of the
Filipino culture as evidenced by singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments.
The town fiestas celebrated in different parts of the country is a testimony of the
Filipinos faith and gratefulness to patron saints where many religious activities, street
dancing, singing, and eating are part of the celebration.

Environmental Protection

One of the major threats to environmental

protection is the continuous growth of tourism industry.
The implementation of laws and other policies in favor of
the environment has to be strictly enforced for tourism
development to be sustainable.

The Philippines has the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to oversee
the protection of the environment in line with proposed
tourism development in various areas.

The 4 As of Tourism

The succeeding chapters are organized in a manner that is in line with the 4 As
of tourism access, attractions, accommodations, and activities. The 4 As need to be
addressed for domestic tourism to flourish in any destination.

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Access - Land, sea, and air access to and from the destination as well as
within the destination should be relatively fast and easy. Tourists would not want to be
traveling the whole day. They prefer to be
spending time on the destination than on the
bus, boat, or plane. Roads, bridges, and
ports should be developed to acceptable
levels to accommodate the influx of tourists.

Attractions - The main reason

tourists go to a destination is because of its
attractions. The attractions can be
cultural/heritage/historic, natural, and/or
built/man-made. There should be a good mix
of these three types for good variety.

Accommodations - There should be a wide range of accommodations that

vary from budget, mid-range, and deluxe. This way, the destination can attract tourists
from a wide demographic profile. Accommodations should include the most basic
needs of a comfortable bed, clean toilets, and food services. Wi-Fi access is becoming
a necessity for tourist to connect with their
loved ones.

Activities - The destination should

also offer a variety of activities located
close to each other. The activities should
be connected to each other with varying
degrees within a similar theme. Themes
would include adventure, health and
wellness, medical, sports, MICE
meetings, incentives, conferences, and
events), etc. For example, if a destination wants to be known as an adventure
destination, then activities should range from soft, medium, and hard adventure
activities. A good mix of activities will keep tourists to stay longer and spend more.

As local tourism in the country exceeds international tourist arrivals by as much

as 10 times, destination managers cannot disregard the contribution that local tourists
make. Hence, activities, accommodations, and amenities should also be designed
with the local tourist in mind. In fact, many tourist facilities such as hotels and resorts
have acknowledged the fact that majority of its guests are local tourists.

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Basic Facts about the Philippines

A. Islands in the Philippines

1. Largest Island in the Philippines

Luzon Island, located in the northern region of the
archipelago, is the country's largest and most populous
island. It also has the greatest population among the three
island groups. Having an area of 42,458 square miles,
Luzon is further subdivided into four major areas—
Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and the
National Capital Region, which is home to the country's
capital, Manila and is the country's center of economic,
social, cultural, and financial development (Vallejo 2014
and Valdeavilla 2018).

2. Smallest Island in the Philippines

The Philippines consists of thousands of islands and
there is no known smallest island using any known technical definition and due
to high tide and low tide variations.

3. Number of Islands
There are 7,641 islands in the Philippines (Barile 2017).

4. Length of Coastline
Estimates of the total length of the coastline range from 17,500
kilometers (official Philippine figure) to 36,289 kilometers (U.S. figure) (Library
of Congress. Federal Research Division 2006).

B. Major Landforms

1. Highest Point: Mount Apo

Mount Apo is the largest and the
tallest solfataric mountain on the island
of Mindanao and in the entire
Philippines. The mountain has an
elevation Of 9,692 feet and is located
between the city of Davao and the
province of Davao Del Sur. Mount Apo
is characterized by a tropical rainy
climate with rainfall relatively distributed
throughout the year. Mount Apo is home to over 272 species of birds of which
111 species are endemic to the mountain. Nineteen rivers drain Mount APO's
eight major watersheds. Six indigenous groups of people including Bagobo,
Ubos, and Tagacaol live around the regions of Mount Apo and consider the
mountain a sacred place and a place for worship rituals (Misachi 2017).

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2. Oldest Province: Aklan

Originally called Minuro, Aklan is considered as the oldest province in
the Philippines. Records say that the province was established during the early
12th century by settlers originating from Borneo. Datu Dinagandan, who
established trade with neighboring islands, was the first ruler. Kalantiaw then
grabbed the throne, and his family continued to rule the province until the mid-
14th century (topten.ph 2016).

3. Number of Provinces: There are 81 Provinces as of March 31, 2018

(Philippine Statistics Authority 2018).

4. Largest/Smallest Province:
a. Largest Province: Palawan
Palawan is the largest in terms of land area at 17,030.75 sq. kms.

b. Smallest Province: Batanes

Batanes has a land area of 203.22 sq. kms. (De la Rosa, Fiestada,
Sanchez, and Mangahas 2018).

C. Climate Information

The first half of the year, from January to May, is the best time to visit the
country. November to February is cool, while March to May is hot and dry. June to
October is rainy, with the months between July and September characterized by
typhoons. Average temperature is 78 degrees F/25 degrees C; average humidity
is 77%.

D. Language

The Philippines has two official languages, Filipino (or Pilipino) and English.
Filipino has eight major dialects, in order of use: Tagalog, Cebuano,llocano,
Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense. Filipino,
based on Tagalog, is related to Malay and Indonesian and is part of the Malayo-
Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language family. Filipino is the common
language used between speakers of different native languages, which are closely
related but not mutually intelligible. There are about 76 to 78 major language
groups, with more than 500 dialects (DOT 2018).

E. Major Ethnic Groups

The richness of the Philippines does not end with just its aesthetic appeal, but
beyond what the eyes can see in photos and videos, is the vibrant feel of its
people. This is the differentiation of the Philippines as a tourist destination. Its
people are known to be the most hospitable in the world. Filipinos treat guests like
family, willing to give up the seat of honor for its visitors.

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The Philippines has more than 100 ethnic groups. The more dominant
ethnic groups include Tagalog, Bisaya, Cebuano, Ilocano, Ilonggo, and Waray.

Ethnic Group Population (2010)

Tagalog 22,512,089
Visayan/Bisaya 10,539,816
Cebuano 9,125,637
Ilokano/Ilocano 8,074,536
Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 7,773,655
Waray 3,660,645

The Philippine culture is a blend of the Malayo-Polynesian and Hispanic

culture with the influence from Chinese, Indians, Arabs, and other Asian
cultures as manifested in various customs and traditions of the Filipinos.
Filipinos have the concept of kapwa (others) to refer to other people as an
extension of themselves. It shows on how they give Importance to their
connection or relationship with other people.
This is one of the roots of their being
hospitable—Filipinos think of others as part
of themselves and their family. This strong
sense of kapwa enables Filipinos to share
what they have with others, give the best
place in the house for the visitors and
always provide the best food for its guests.

Filipinos are lovers of art as

evidenced by their folk songs, cultural
dances, rituals, festivals, intricate
architecture of churches, and ancestral
houses. They are also lovers of music and
have the ability to express themselves
through song and dance. Videoke has
evolved to be associated as a favorite past-
time and get-together activity. Filipinos love
to celebrate and gather with family and
friends around popular Filipino dishes such
as lechon, adobo and pancit.

Religion is an integral and inseparable aspect of Filipino culture. The

Philippines is known to celebrate the longest Christmas season. Devotion to
various images of the Lord Jesus, such as the Sto. Nino and the Black
Nazarene, as well as to the Blessed Virgin Mary and different patron saints, is

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celebrated through festivals, most of which have religious origins. Religion is

also a powerful organizing principle for ethnic groups (Peralta 2000)'

Filipinos are generally family-oriented with adult children continuing to

stay in the family home. It is not unfamiliar for families to have extended family
members with them permanently. Extended family members may include
elderly aunts and uncles and married children with their growing families.
Nursing homes are not popular in the Philippines as children take care of their
ageing parents.

Filipinos find reason to celebrate any and all occasions. Birthdays,

weddings, baptisms' funerals, and Christmas are grand occasions to celebrate.

Food becomes the centerpiece of every Filipino family celebration.

Filipino food throughout the regions is characterize with flavors of being salty,
sour, sweet, and spicy from our Hispanic and Malay influences.

Each region has its unique and distinct characteristics influenced by its
own history and culture. Ilocano, Tagalog, Bicolano, waray, Ilongo, and
Mindanaoan are just a few of the ethnicities of Filipinos.

Ilocanos are generally known for their simple lifestyle and strong value
for money. Hard work and strong educational foundation are virtues they strive
to pass on to their children.

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The bayaniban spirit is alive in the Tagalog-speaking provinces.

Neighbors help without pay in the hope that when it is their turn to need help,
their neighbors will be there to help them. Tagalog families are closely-knit, with
adult children even the married ones still live with their parents.

The Bicolanos are religious and conservative in nature. Songs and

dances are ways of expressing themselves. They prefer spicy food with
coconut milk.

The Warays, situated in the Eastern Visayas Region, are often

stereotyped as brave warriors, as in the popular phrase, "basta ang Waray,
hindi uurong sa away." They are also known as contented people that during
the Spanish occupation in the region, they were misunderstood and called lazy.

Ilongos are very hospitable. They always provide for their guest comfort
and ease at their own expenses. They are also very gentle in their ways that
their quarrels do not seem like ones. Since time is not important to the Ilongos,
they also take life as it comes.

Mindanao is the only predominantly Muslim region in the country. Their

customs and traditions are different than that of Luzon and Visayas. Majority of
the population of Mindanao region believes in the Islam religion and submits
themselves completely to the will of Allah. Communal assistance is widely
practiced among the Maguindanaons and Maranaos. By custom and tradition,
they are expected to help their relatives by putting in money to finance such
activities as marriages, funerals, pilgrimages to Mecca, and many others.

The Filipinos are distinct in many ways, go out and discover what this
country has to offer. Love it, believe in it, and create many wonderful memories
in its more than 7,000 islands.

F. Threats to Preservation of Culture

Language is said to be the bearer of culture. With the public educational

system mainly patterned from Western influences, there is the threat of
standardization. Culture-based education is eroded and the national language
induces change within the particular culture. The internalization of concepts
through the medium of language and the externalization of these is altered since
the culture of the introduced language is internalized by the receiving culture.

Mass media through radio, television, print, and more recently, social media,
has provided a window to the world. New tastes, needs, and opinions are created
which contributes to the destruction of traditional value systems.

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With all these influences, ethnicity, hence, is not static. It is of living people
who change at the birth of a nation.

G. Life Expectancy

1. Life Expectancy Nationwide

2015 69.0
2016 69.1
2017 69.2
Source: United Nations Development Programme Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2017

2. Life Expectancy per Region (2010-2015)

Region Male Female

Region I 69.6 75.9
Region Il 68.3 73.3
Region Ill 68.7 75.4
Region IV-A 68.9 75.2
Region IV-B 68.4 73.0
Region V 67.6 72.6
Region VI 68.0 74.2
Region Vll 63.9 68.9
Region Vlll 66.8 71.7
Region IX 66.6 71.7
Region X 66.9 72.1
Region Xl 67.1 71.9
Region Xll 67.4 72.3
NCR 68.8 75.6
ARMM 61.9 62.9
CARAGA 65.9 71.3
CAR 67.4 72.7
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority 2018

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Barile, C. (2017). Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. National

Mapping and Resource Information Authority. Administrator Tiangco welcomes 2017.
Retrieved from http://www.namria.gov.ph/list.php?1032&alias=administrator-tiangco-
welcomes-2017&Archive=1

Dela Rosa, C.J., Fiestada, O., Sanchez, S.M., & Mangahas, M. (2018). Philippine
Center for Investigative Journalism. Stats on the State of the Regions: Land,
Population, Population Density. Retrieved from http://pcij.org/stories/stats-on-the-
state-of-the-regionsland population-population-density/

Department of Tourism (2018). General information. Retrieved from

http://www.tourism.gov. ph/general_information.aspx

Library of Congress. Federal Research Division (2006). Country Profile: Philippines.

Washington,D.C. Retrieved from
https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/cs/profiles/Philippinesnew.pdf

Misachi, J. (2017). Tallest Mountains in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.

worldatlas.com/articles/tallest-mountains-in-the-philippines.html

Peralta, J.T. (2000). Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines. National Commission for
Culture and the Arts

Philippine Statistics Authority (2018). Philippines in Figures 2018. Retrieved from

https://psa. .pdf

Recide, R.S. (2016) Contribution of Tourism to the Economy is 8.2% in 2015.

Accessed on January 6, 2017 https://psa.gov.ph/content/contribution-tourism-
economy-82percent-2015-0

TOPTEN.PH (2016). 10 of the Oldest Facts in the Philippines. Retrieved from

http://www. topten.ph/2016/01/22/I O-of-the-oldest-facts-in-the-philippines/

United Nations Development Programme. Department of Economic and Social Affairs

(2017). World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision. New York. Retrieved from
http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/

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Valdeavilla, R. (2018). Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao: The 3 Island Groups of The

Philippines. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/luzon-
visayas mindanao-the-3-island-groups-of-the-philippines/

Vallejo, B. Jr. (2014). The Biogeography of Luzon Island. In Telnov D. (Ed.).

Biodiversity, Biogeography ana Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea
(pp. 47-59). Latvian Society of Entomology

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